《Dark Of The Sun》Chapter 40
Advertisement
High overhead, the sun tipped over its zenith, beginning the long, slow descent to its rest beyond the horizon. It glowed glum, heavy in the sky. Under its halting gaze, Esadora held the Fire Queen aloft. The others stirred, shaking off the tinkle of charmed steel as the shuriken fell away beneath the Worldkin’s indomitable power. They watched with wide eyes.
“No!” Fayne snarled, clawing at the magic vice constricting her throat, “NO! You can’t…!”
“I can, and I did, dearie. Did you really think that a Mor’Torquem would kill me? That the Shackles of Soul would hold me indefinitely? You should have killed me when you had the chance.”
“But… you were… trapped… tortured…!” Fayne gasped, desperation tinting her words.
“I’ll admit the torture was an inconvenience,” Esadora mused, “And it did take me rather longer than I had anticipated to unravel the spell of the Mor’Torquem... But, at least, you had a chance to play out your little charade.” She paused, raised her eyebrows pityingly. “Your penchant for games is the reason you never win. You think you’re so clever, dearie… And that’s why you find yourself where you currently are.”
She tightened her grip. Fayne’s fingers flicked violently, her magic sparking in erratic fits, breath rattling. Her face contorted with hateful fury as she struggled against the Worldkin’s magic – like an insect against an avalanche.
But Esadora abruptly set her down, lessened the pressure on her windpipe. Fayne drew great gouts of air, rubbing at her lacerated neck, tears of pain rolling down her pinched cheeks.
“Don’t worry, dearie,” Esadora gave a feline smile, “Today is not your last day.”
“You… offer… mercy?” Fayne managed, her surprise undoing the fury on her features.
Esadora laughed – long and loud – as if her suggestion were ludicrous.
“Today is not your last day,” she repeated, circling her like a fox with a mouse, “Because you killed my daughter in cold blood. You tried to kill my granddaughter. I offer you no mercy...”
Advertisement
She reached the front of her again, and Fayne paled beneath her wild and wicked smile.
“...Oh, no. You will live out the rest of your miserable days in untold agony – doused and drenched and kept with just enough air to leave breath in your fiery lungs.”
Fayne quailed. “Esadora, darling, please…”
The Worldkin raised an eyebrow, allowing her the grace to finish, but Fayne found she had no words to redeem herself. Esadora’s eyes snapped, lips twisted as she opened her mouth to give the command to take her away.
But the Firekin shimmered. Face alight with surprise, Fayne melted, dispersing on the breeze like a shadow fleeing candlelight. Esadora snatched at her with a bright flash, but she was ephemeral, borne away into oblivion. The Worldkin snarled, spun; the Shadowkin was gone, too.
Thwarted magic sparked high. “God-damned Shadowkin!”
“Grandma!” Jordan exclaimed, limping forward with Norae at her shoulder, “What happened? Where did she go?”
Esadora turned to her, mouth set grim. “That’ll teach me to harp on about games.” But she opened her arms, engulfed Jordan in a suffocating hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay, child!”
Jordan pushed back, tears in her eyes. “I’m okay? Are you kidding me? God, Grandma, I’ve never been so worried in my life! How did you do that?”
“It wasn’t easy,” Esadora confessed with a gentle smile, “But I had good reason to make sure I succeeded.” She cupped Jordan’s face. “Try not to ever find yourself shackled or collared, dearie. It is not an easy magic to undo. You need a lifetime of experience to even make the attempt.”
Jordan nodded, and her smile stretched to bursting as she hugged Esadora again. Over her grandmother’s shoulder, she caught Norae’s eye. The Callkin had moved to greet her father; she leaned against Nalvadian, his great arm squeezing her tight.
“Happy reunions all around,” Nerys commented darkly.
She stood off, holding herself on the edge of present company, her power humming at the ready.
Advertisement
Esadora fixed her with an expressionless stare. “Nerys Dur’Borran,” she said, “Still alive, are you?”
Nerys curled her lip. “I am in no mood, dear.”
“Quite a piece of magic you pulled off, there,” Esadora remarked, unruffled.
Nerys folded her arms. “Stranger things.”
The Worldkin stepped away from Jordan, giving her shoulders a quick, reassuring squeeze. She drew herself up to her full height, standing before Nerys with her hands folded. Silent, Calyx watched.
“We live in a world of strange things,” Esadora mused. She cast her gaze east, and the light of the dying sun reflected in her steely gaze. “Not least of which is the manner of the endings… Time is nearly up.”
Nerys’ eyes sparked, hot as coals. “Do you always ramble, dear?”
Esadora tilted her head. “The long and short of it is, tomorrow will be a new day – a strange day. And you have… choices to make. Better ones, I hope.”
She turned away, tucked an arm over Jordan’s shoulders, and began the trek to the palace. The others followed, gingerly skirting craters and corpses, and the gates swung wide to admit them.
Brooding, Nerys was left alone.
Almost.
“She has a point,” Calyx said quietly. She moved up to stand beside the Dark Lat’Nemele, gazing at the bleeding sunset.
“Hardly,” Nerys sniped, scowling at the broken star, “Has no one noticed? It’s the end of the bloody world.”
“Not quite.”
Nerys turned to her, expression guarded. “What do you want, Calyx?”
Calyx did not look round. “I just wanted to say thank you.”
“For what?” Nerys snorted, “A stupid decision on the spur of the moment? Mmm, yes… I helped saved your life – so now you can die in flaming agony along with the rest of us. You’re welcome, dear.”
Calyx faced her at last. “Why did you leave, when we found that dagger?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
Nerys drew a breath, released it explosively. “I spent time with them – the Shadowkin… I know what they are capable of, I… had to go.”
Calyx scowled. “To protect Fayne.”
“To protect you.”
They regarded each other for a long moment. Nerys dropped her gaze first.
“Fayne has a long-standing relationship with Tabitha, the Scion of the Shadowkin,” she sighed. “If I had not been there – an option with less consequences – she would have unleashed their full army instead. You saw how Tabitha scooped Fayne out from under Esadora’s very nose – they are infinitely dangerous, Calyx. Esadora may be able to combat them, but she was incapacitated. How was I to know she’d cast off the Mor’Torquem all on her own?”
“Never underestimate that woman,” Calyx said darkly.
“Indeed.”
Calyx reached out, tentative, and took her hand. “Why didn’t you say anything? We could have talked about it before you went rushing off…”
“There was no time,” Nerys replied, thumbing the back of her fingers with soft strokes. “Tabitha had already been, and gone, by the time I arrived.”
“And… killing me? Was that part of some grand plan, too?”
“I’ve already told you that was an accident, dear.”
“Well,” Calyx smiled, “At least we know who won.”
“Extenuating circumstances,” Nerys frowned. “If it hadn’t been for that damned Airkin…”
“What happened to him, by the way?”
“Nothing good.”
Calyx laughed. She laced her arms around Nerys’ waist, looked up from beneath heavy lashes. Around them, magic flitted like fireflies.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Calyx murmured, watching them.
“As you are,” Nerys whispered, bright power reflecting in her bottomless eyes.
Calyx sighed as the dark Lat’Nemele pulled her close, and magic bloomed around them, rivalling the setting sun. Soft and sweet, their lips met, a tentative promise of hope for tomorrow.
Advertisement
Celestial Teahouse System [Slice Of Life LitRPG]
“I guess this is the end of my lifespan? How pathetic.” An infamous Immortal Emperor from Black Heaven Realm was at the end of his lifespan as he shut his old and wrinkled eyelids, awaiting his impending death with a hint of regret. However, when he was on his last breath– the serenity was disrupted by a simple-looking pebble that started glowing intensely out of nowhere as it entered his dantian and he lost consciousness. After what seemed like forever, he finally woke up and to his amazement– he discovered that his body had recovered to the state of his once youthful self with his cultivation only regressing by a little, while ending up in a foreign world filled with modern technology– Earth. He realized that a mysterious robotic voice had suddenly established its presence in his mind unknowingly, issuing him missions and rewards that would help and guide him in a certain direction. Enjoying his new life with a carefree attitude in a new world, running a teahouse with the help of the Celestial Teahouse System– Li Qu will slowly unravel the mysteries behind the pebble and the reason for his transmigration. Was he the only one to do so? Or was there a deeper meaning behind all of this? Will be releasing chapters daily until it gets knocked off the Rising Star list. From then on, it'll be Monday - Friday. Important Note: It's written in a style of a 'Chinese-translated-to-English' type of story. I get the confusion in the earlier chapters, however– NO harem. It's mostly a turn-off-your-brain chill type of story. Author's Note: As this is the first story that I've ever written, there will be occasional errors and as such, please forgive me in advance.
8 146Divine Imperium - Warlord of Takamagahara
On earth, a boy named Yamato Shigeru was minding his own business, playing truant and spending time at a sports club. One day, on his way back from the club, he stops by a park before he mysteriously vanishes. Next thing he knows, he is taken to the land of the Shinto gods and requested to fight to help protect earth. With the facts presented before him, he responds to the request, becoming the commander of his own faction to fight in another, chaotic world. His motivation, to prevent earth from being dragged into this world and being made a mess of, and… leaving his grey world behind. Read though his adventures and decisions he makes in this unforgiving and unforgettable new world, where he will fight every mystery and every common logic and build a faction that trembles the earth and heaven. Witness, the rise of the DIVINE IMPERIUM and the great warlord. Notes: - Tags and warnings to be updated as the story is written. - Updates maybe irregular. - Please point out any errors in writing you may find.
8 213God save the king ➳ Cauis Volturi
"If they ever meet, it's going to be the end of life as we know it" -Alice-"I thought you were my friend! Friends don't hide this type of things!" -Anthea- "Just say the word, and I'll kill them all" -Caius- " Just... Do it" -Anthea-Slow updates
8 158Homunculi: 6
A powerful family desperate to maintain its position at any cost meddles in the domain of the divine by designing and developing a new race called Homunculi. These creations are honed into brutal weapons to fuel their grand ambitions and keep their secrets hidden.Fresh eyes take in this world as a new Homunculus awakens. Its conditioning and training take an unexpected twist as it develops abilities and skills different from the others of its kind. -------------------- Surrounded by manufactured warriors who are incredibly powerful from day one, our MC will find himself lacking in innate skills and knowledge. Very much a weak to strong story. There is definitely action and adventure within, but expect a slow start that is focused on character growth, building tension, unraveling conspiracies, while learning about a new magical world. Some cooking and some daydreaming within. (I see you slice of life) --------- WIP art by Katie Z.
8 291Rilla Of Ingleside √ (Project K.)
***** ALL CREDITS TO L.M.MONTGOMERY****The eighth (and final) book in the 'Anne' series"Before this war is over,' [Walter] said - or something said through his lips - 'every man and woman and child in Canada will feel it - you, Mary, will feel it - feel it to your heart's core. [...] It will be years before the dance of death is over - years, Mary. And in those years millions of hearts will break."Rilla is a young girl when World War I breaks out. At first she doesn't realize what this means for herself, her family, Canada and all of the world. But the heartbreaking truth is soon evident to vain and easy going Rilla, and the ensuing four years change her life forever.Tragedy, love, and humor are mixed in one heart wrenching book, all by Montgomery's amazing style. GOODREADS RATED THIS 4.14 STARS. AMAZON RATED THIS 4.6 STARS #14 in Classics 25/9/17#21 in Classics 17/10/173rd in the New Author Awards Historical FictionPS Keep a box of tissues with you.
8 110~His Hufflepuff~ Draco Malfoy
"she looked at my demons in the eye and smiled. she fell for the very thing i thought she'd fear"~the slytherin prince falls for the hufflepuff angel~{year 3 - year 4}
8 192